Every time an election is held for any office, the subject of ANWR Drilling, America’s dependence on petroleum and the politics of oil and gas eventually comes up in discussion. To understand the debate the overall issue of Anwr and the impacts of drilling there must be clearly understood. Why? Because the issue of climate change, oil exploration and the future of the United States and the world are at stake. What are the real pros and cons of drilling in ANWR? ALASKAN OIL DRILINGANWR is the name given to 19 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope – the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In 1960 the government named it a protected area and has added even more land since then.